How does sexual abuse by Church leaders affect the hearts and souls of their victims, as well as the people around them? Catholic moral theologian Marcus Mescher,…… Read more “Understanding the Wounds Caused by Clergy Sexual Abuse”
Tag: Catholic Church
Fordham Panel Explores Clergy Abuse in Native American Communities
Indigenous students suffered sexual, emotional, and physical abuse as well as the loss of culture and family while living in boarding schools run by the Catholic Church, according to a panel of experts who spoke Read more
Courageous Conversation: Understanding Trauma to Build Trauma–Sensitive Parishes
Every parish has members who have experienced sexual abuse or other types of trauma, making it essential to create communities that feel welcoming and safe to victims and survivors, said Stephen Read more
Survivor Story: How I Found Healing Through Scripture
In 1968 at the age of 19, while in studies for priesthood, I was abused by the priest who was my superior, the individual with the most input in evaluating my suitability to continue. He was well respected in the seminary community; I had Read more
Explainer: What Is Restorative Justice, And How Can It Help Heal the Catholic Church?
Restorative justice is often discussed as one of many tools to address the twin crises of sexual abuse and leadership failures in the Catholic Church. Retired Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janine Geske, an expert Read more
3 Tools that Can Help Victim-Survivors Heal
In the aftermath of sexual abuse, many victim-survivors struggle with their mental health, facing problems including anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and intimacy issues. As knowledge about trauma recovery has grown, mental health experts have developed Read more
Enablers and Bystanders: Are They Key to Addressing the Sex Abuse Crisis?
What do such people—who are not predators themselves, but allow predators to operate—owe to the victims who are harmed? This is one of the questions considered by Read more
Survivor Story: After My Experience with David Haas, I Can’t Sing His Music
Margaret Hillman was 12 years old when she joined the choir at her parish in Fairhaven, Massachusetts. Within a few years, she began serving as a cantor, leading the congregation during Mass. And liturgical music became a family affair; Hillman’s mother soon joined the choir Read more
5 Ways the Catholic Church Can Build More “Institutional Courage”
In our work listening to victim-survivors of sexual abuse, we at Awake have heard many stories of people who told Church leaders about their abuse, only to face doubt, legal maneuvering, insensitivity, or worse Read more
Survivor Story: Six Things I Wish Catholics Knew About the Abuse Crisis
Today we revisit the important insights shared by Patricia Gallagher Marchant in one of our very first Survivor Stories, originally published on March 10, 2020. Patricia Gallagher…… Read more “Survivor Story: Six Things I Wish Catholics Knew About the Abuse Crisis”
